Rotary screen for motor assemblies



July 1, 1952 M. D. BURROWS ET AL 2,601,907

ROTARY SCREEN FOR MOTOR ASSEMBLIES Filed Sept. 22, l949 ,[nveniorfl Milford .flfiurroms ,StarzZeg 2.5620672" @M MM Patented July 1, 1Q52 ROTARY SCREEN FOR MOTOR ASSEMBLIES Milford D. Burrows and Stanley Z. Siwek, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Pioneer Gen-E-Motor Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application September 22, 1949, Serial No. 117,233

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates to an improvement in fans or air cleanersfor rotating members, including motor fly wheels. One purpose is to provide an improved motor assembly with a shroud inlet for air, having a screen rotating with a fly wheel-fan unit.

Another purpose is to provide a rotating screen or cleaner of an improved form.

Another purpose is to provide such a cleaner with a minimum of exposed area, and with edges shielded and supported.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away; and

Figure 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates an outer shroud of an internal combustion engine. The shroud is shown as having an air inlet 2 defined by and surrounded by a circumferential lip 3, shown as ofiset from the body of the shroud. 4 indicates part of an engine housing, the details of which form no part of the present invention. 5 is a motor shaft of the engine mounted, for example, in any suitable bearing portion 6, and extending outwardly beyond the housing portion or wall 4.

The shaft 5 is shown as carrying a fly wheel I, the fly wheel being formed, if desired, with fan elements or components 8. The fly wheel is shown as having a hub portion 9 mounted on a tapered portion In of the shaft, and connected in pgsition, for example, by a washer II and nut Between the washer H and the hub 9 is illustrated, first, a pulley I3, which may, for example, be the launching pulley around which a launching or starting rope or wire may be mounted, for manual starting of the motor. Between the pulley l3 and the hub 9 we illustrate the screen element H. The screen element 14 is shown as having the inner portion l5, which is actually compressed between the hub 9 and the opposed face of the pulley. It is shown as outwardly flared, as at l6, and as provided with a somewhat conic or tapered portion [1 which terminates in an inwardly turned lip I8. The lip l8 clears and underlies the edge of the flange 3 surrounding the shroud aperture, and abuts 2 against and is supported by the fan components 8.

.It will be understood that when the motor is actuated and the fly wheel is rotating, the screen or cleaner l4 also rotates. Its outer edge portion I8 is supported and strengthened by contact with the fan components 8, but the intermediate portion H is So sloped or inclined that it will centrifugally throw particles along a path which misses the exterior of the flange 3. Thus a substantial proportion of the larger particles or impurities inthe indrawn air will actually be thrown centrifugally outwardly along paths which clear the edge of the air inlet aperture 2.

It is a matter of choice whether we employ a foraminous sheet, as shown, or some other type of air pervious structure, such as screening or the like. However, a foraminous stamped sheet has certain advantages, since it may be accurately formed to size and shape, and easily and accurately fitted in position.

It will be realized that whereas we describe and show a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts. We therefore wish the description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting us to our precise showing.

We claim:

a1. In an engine structure, the combination comprising a shaft, a fly wheel having fan components mounted on the shaft for rotary motion therewith, a shroud within which the fly wheel rotates, said shroud having an air inlet concentric with the axis of rotation of the shaft, a starter pulley exterior to the shroud, and a rotary screen mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith, said screen including a'central portion adapted'to be secured to the flywheel, and a conic circumferential portion extending outwardly beyond the plane of the shroud and having a terminal conic portion terminating inwardly withinthe shroud.

2. In an engine structure, the combination comprising a shaft, a fly wheel having fan com- I ponents mounted on the shaft for rotary motending outwardly adjacent the plane of the shroud and having a terminal conic portion ter- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record 'in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Davis June 29, 1897 Phelps June 3, 1930 McFarland et a1. June 3, 1941 Packwood July 27, 1948 

